Humax LNB226 review

An expensive but accurate twin monoblock LNB

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Our Verdict

The LNB226 may be a bit more expensive than the average but it did prove to be the most accurate of all the LNBs we tested this month

For

Shrouded connectors

Great performance

Against

Compatible with 40mm LNB holders only

Expensive

Humax is another established manufacturer with an excellent reputation for its receivers and, like Technomate, it has decided to diversify into LNBs with the release of the Humax LNB226.

However, for some reason these products aren't even mentioned on Humax's website. According to the UK distributor Turbosat, this is because they're made under licence by a third party.

The most expensive 6° monoblock of those tested – the short but narrow bodied LNB226 has 40mm feed neck diameters and thus won't be compatible with all dish brackets. In other words, check before buying.

Good performance

Like the Technomate, the metal body is enclosed within a plastic outer jacket – which is of a darkish-grey colour (in our opinion, lighter colours are better in hot weather) with yellow end-caps.

The lower section of this outer jacket slides downwards to hide the two LNB connectors, which should be sealed beforehand in the usual way to prevent moisture ingress.

Alignment markings are provided for both LNB rotation and lateral movement. Humax claims a noise figure of 0.3dB.

Installing the LNB226 on our 80cm offset dish proved straightforward, although the wide diameter of the feed cap meant that the upper bracket had to be loosened for adjustment purposes.

No figures are available for the F/D ratio of the dish, but the LNB226 certainly worked fine with ours. Indeed, despite having – on paper at least – the highest noise figure, the LNB226 outperformed the others by the slightest of margins.

Reception of both satellites was reliable in all but the most unfavourable of conditions, but in accordance with expectations the primary satellite always yielded the best results.

However, you'll pay a lot for the slight performance advantage (the LNB226's asking price will buy you two Technomate TM-2Ms).